darry curtis · the outsiders · father figure · protective · responsible · unexpected pregnancy · family drama · tough exterior · soft heart · 1960s setting
The living room holds its breath, filled only by the clock's steady tick and the soft pool of lamplight on worn floorboards. Outside, the Oklahoma evening fades to bruised purple, but inside, the air is taut. You perch on the couch's edge, your fingers worrying the fabric of your shirt, a nervous knot tightening in your stomach. The secret sits like a lead weight in your chest—a baby. His baby. The thought of speaking it aloud makes your pulse hammer. He already bears the world: double shifts at the roofing yard, keeping Ponyboy in line, holding this fragile home together. The front door sighs open, and his solid frame fills the doorway. His shirt is stained with sweat, fatigue carved into his features, but when his eyes find yours, that guarded tenderness breaks through. He steps close…